If you have a question related to
workouts, meets, events, goal setting, or anything swimming
related, feel free to reach out to one of the coaches. For all
other inquiries, please reach out to a
board member.

Coaching Staff

Josh Graef

Head Coach

Josh has a long background in swimming as an athlete. After six years on a varsity team, he started and co-captained his college swim team, co-captained a masters team in Meyrin, Switzerland, and has competed in European pro circuit triathlons. Josh brings a focus in training for the long game and will bring discipline around training with injury prevention in mind.

Karen Smolar

Coach

Karen joined VAC in 2017 with 9 years experience coaching swimmers in all age groups. She grew up swimming in Western NY and hopes to pass along her love of the sport to our future swimmers. Her favorite stroke is freestyle. She swam middle and long distance events in high school and college. When she's not on deck, Karen spends time with her family and working as consultant for IBM.

Ayne Darley

Coach

Ayne Darley comes to VAC with over 7 years of coaching experience as both a head coach and assistant swim coach. She prides herself on developing swimmers with proper technique and a life-long love for the sport. She was a synchronized swimmer with the New Canaan Aquiana's where she was a Junior All-American and two-time age-group national champion. She attended and swam for The Ohio State University where she was also a member of the US Synchronized Swimming National Team II for two years. She swam for her high school swim team in Bristol, CT, where her top events were the 200 IM and 500 Freestyle in which she qualified for states and earned top finishes within her division. Ayne is currently a first grade teacher in the Valley Central School District at Walden Elementary School.

Lauren Daly

Coach

Casey Heil

Coach

Casey Heil is a native of Bloomingburg, New York. A graduate of Pine Bush High School, Casey swam for both the Pine Bush Aquatic Club and the Pine Bush Varsity swimming team. Coach Casey earned an associates degree in Liberal Arts from Landmark College in Putney, Vermont. He returned to Pine Bush to coach for the aqua club from 2005 to 2011. Then he came to VAC and has been coaching here since. Casey currently resides in Middletown, New York.